December 22, 2020
Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, announced on Monday a new product-return program that’s intended to alleviate a particular pain point in the online shopping experience – the return of no-longer-wanted goods.
As every online shopper knows, product acquisition is easy. It’s the occasional product-return that can sometimes make the overall experience less than ideal. In response, Walmart has announced that products purchased on Walmart.com and no longer wanted can be easily returned thanks to a new partnership with the worldwide shipping juggernaut FedEx. According to the company’s announcement, the new program, named “Carrier Pickup by FedEx,” will extend beyond the 2020 holiday shopping season.
In order to take advantage of the new free-returns option, Walmart customers who purchased goods on the company’s website will now have the option to initiate the return of unwanted goods either on the company’s website or via the company’s app. Customers can schedule a date for pickup of the now-unwanted merchandise and print a shipping label to accommodate free pickup and return by FedEx. The free-returns service will be available wherever FedEx offers small parcel pickup.
Customers lacking a home printer will have the option to visit Walmart’s website to obtain a QR code and then drop the merchandise at any of FedEx’s 2,000 office locations nationwide. There, a FedEx employee will print a return label that will be used to complete the product’s round trip. Reportedly, customers will be refunded the day after their merchandise pickup or drop-off.
In a company blog post, Linne Fulcher, Vice President for Customer Strategy, Science and Journeys boasted that, "No matter how customers buy items, we want the returns experience to be easy, safe and seamless." As further evidence of Walmart’s commitment to that mantra, the company recently partnered with the E-commerce technology firm, Happy Returns, which accommodates the in-person return of products lacking original shipping boxes and return labels. Moreover, Walmart has also announced changes to its in-store returns policy. For example, the retailer will now accept returns without receipts, provided purchases were made in-store using a debit or credit card.
Walmart’s US online sales rose a whopping 79 percent during the company’s latest financial quarter, spurred by seasonal holiday shopping demand, the pandemic-accelerated transition away from brick-and-mortar stores, and the long-term shift to online shopping.
This Ecommerce news update is presented by the Butcher Block Co. – an online-only store whose kitchen-centric product line includes butcher block countertops; butcher block islands, tables, carts, and cutting boards; and kitchen knives and knife holders.
For more information, please visit Butcher Block Co.
Contact Info:
Name: Kathleen Grodsky
Organization: Butcher Block Co.
Address: 10448 N 21st Pl Phoenix, Arizona 85028
Phone: (877) 845-5597